- Missed classes, a changed grade, and one disillusioned adviser – Accusations of – well just as the article’s title dramatically explains: missed classes, a changed grad, and a disillusioned adviser. In this instance of WTF NCAA, the accusations are pointed at UCLA. In related news, HBO is considering a True Detective season loosely based on this story with Steve Lavin starring as Steve Alford, Jessica Chastain as Layla Kiffin, and Lavar Burton as the disgruntled adviser. There’s also heavey speculation that SDSU’s Steve Fisher will make an appearance as the ghost of John Wooden during the series. If you really want to read about an academic scandal, read about UNC.
- ‘I play with guns:’ Caron Butler’s inside account of the Gilbert Arenas gun incident – Even without Caron Butler’s commentary – which is unsettling in its own right – what a weird effing story. We played a lot of card games on baseball road trips in High School and my buddy Mac always seemed to lose. The pot would get up to an astronomical high school amount of like $75 or something, he’d lose, and the lot of us would lose it, cracking up at Mac’s misfortune. Mac’s fine and well adjusted now. I think he one time tackled our second baseman for it.
- Documents, former players point to Steve Sarkisian’s alcohol use at Washington – Remember when the Red Sox were running Theo and Terry Francona out of Boston? There were rampant reports of ridiculous things and now there’s a book about it. Things many in the know had seen or heard in the past. That sort of “leaking” was coming from the top. There are pictures of receipts in this article. This is the public shaming – under the guise of someone doing reporting – of a man who didn’t harm anyone but himself. The depths of Sarkisian’s issues are surfacing now because USC has allowed it to happen, presumably to fire him with cause. I suppose that’s the ugly head of business, guaranteed contracts and the pressure of the wins column. It’s likely that Pat Haden – the presumed handler of this mess – is gone soon, too.
